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CASP checklists

CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) checklists are a series of checklists involving prompt questions to help you evaluate research studies. They are often used in Healthcare and cover the following types of research methods: Systematic Reviews, Randomised Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, Case Control Studies, Economic Evaluations, Diagnostic Studies, Qualitative studies, and Clinical Prediction Rule.

The CASP checklists are usually structured around three main sections asking:

  • Are the results of the study valid?
  • What are the results?
  • Will the results help locally? (in my setting) 

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Structure your evaluation

Use the appropriate checklist to help structure your evaluation of a research study to ensure you have considered all aspects of the study. The checklists can be found here: 

CASP Checklists

Do the groundwork but be selective

Think of the questions on the relevant CASP checklist as a logical way to evaluate the quality of evidence in each text that you read. Following the checklist helps you to do the necessary groundwork, but not everything you write in response to the CASP checklist will be relevant for your assignment. Using the checklist as a way of structuring and stimulating your own thinking means you will have a better understanding of which evidence to select for inclusion in your work, and why it is suitable evidence.